Stephen Potter Quotes

1900 - 1969

English humorous writer.

"Yes, but not in the South", with slight adjustments, will do for any argument about any place, if not about any person.

Some Notes on Lifemanship (1950) p. 43.
— This versatile gambit for disconcerting one's opponent in debate is usually said to have been originated by Potter, even though he had himself said in a footnote to Lifemanship that "I am required to state that World Copyright of this phrase is owned by its brilliant inventor, Mr. Pound". On publication of Lifemanship the critic Richard Usborne wrote to Potter protesting that this stratagem had been invented not by the mysterious Mr. Pound but by Usborne himself, in an article called "Not in the South" published in the May 28, 1941 number of Punch magazine, where the phrase was described as "a formula that let me off the boredom of finding out facts and retaining knowledge". Potter replied, "My God, have I got it wrong? I now perceive with horrifying clearness that I have", but he never corrected the attribution in print. The whole story was set out by Usborne in a letter published in Time magazine, January 5, 1970. [1]

More Stephen Potter Quotes

The theory and practice of gamesmanship; or, The art of winning games without actually cheating.

Stephen Potter
— Title of book (1947)

Tags: theory, practice, gamesmanship, art, winning, games, without, cheating

In our small chess community in Marylebone it would be mock modesty on my part to deny that I have built up for myself a considerable name without ever actually having won a single game. Even the best players are sometimes beaten, and that is precisely what happens to me.

Stephen Potter
— The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (1947) p. 92

Tags: our, small, chess, community, mock, modesty, deny, built, myself

How to be one up - how to make the other man feel that something has gone wrong, however slightly.

Stephen Potter
— Some Notes on Lifemanship (1950) p. 14
— Definition of one-upmanship

Tags: one, other, man, feel, something, gone, wrong, slightly

A good general rule is to state that the bouquet is better than the taste, and vice versa.

Stephen Potter
— One-Upmanship (1952) ch. 14
— On wine-tasting.

Tags: good, rule, state, bouquet, better, taste, vice, versa

Talk of the "imperial decay" of your invalid port. "Its gracious withdrawal from perfection, keeping a hint of former majesty withal, as it hovers between oblivion and the divine Untergang of infinite recession."

Stephen Potter
— One-Upmanship (1952) p. 143
— On how to talk up a faded Cockburn 1897.

Tags: Talk, imperial, decay, invalid, port, gracious, withdrawal, perfection, keeping

How tobe oneuphow tomakethe other manfeelthat something has gone wrong, however slightly.

Stephen Potter
— 1950 Lifemanship.

Tags: tobe, other, something, gone, wrong, slightly

Each of us can, by ployorgambit, most naturally gain the advantage.

Stephen Potter
— 1950 Lifemanship.

Tags: us, can, most, naturally, gain, advantage

Stephen Potter Quotes

1900 - 1969

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